You can feel lonely in an empty house, and you can feel lonely in a crowded room. Loneliness isn’t only about being by yourself. It’s the sense that no one really sees you, or that no one would notice if you slipped away for a while.
The Bible speaks to this directly. Its people were exiled, betrayed, abandoned by friends and left by family, and many of them wrote honestly about it. Again and again, God’s answer to loneliness is his presence: I will be with thee. The verses below are promises to lean on today, and a gentle push toward the people God has put in your path.
And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Moses spoke these words to Joshua in front of the whole nation, near the end of his own life. Joshua was losing his mentor and taking on a job no one else could share. Notice the order: the LORD goes before thee, and he will be with thee. He is already in the place you’re headed, and he walks there beside you.
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
David imagines the farthest place he could possibly go, as far as the dawn reaches or the most distant sea. Even there, he says, God’s hand would lead him and hold him. There is no distance, on a map or in your heart, that puts you beyond his reach.
When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.
Few things hurt more than being let down by the people who should have loved you first. If that is your story, this verse is for you. Whatever family you have or don’t have, the LORD will take me up. You are not an afterthought to him.
Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.
Desolate means alone and empty. It’s a striking word to find in a prayer. David simply tells God how he feels and asks him to turn toward him. You don’t have to dress up your loneliness before you pray. You can say it plainly, the way David did.
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
God says when you pass through the waters, not if. Hard seasons are expected. What’s promised is that you won’t go through them alone, and they won’t destroy you. Many readers think of Daniel’s three friends in the fiery furnace, where a fourth figure was seen walking with them in the flames.
Lord, I feel alone right now. Thank you that you see me, even when no one else seems to. Turn toward me, as you did for David. Remind me that you go before me and stay with me. Give me the courage to reach out to someone today, and help me notice the people you’ve already put in my life. Be near me in the quiet. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Send one message today to someone you haven’t talked to in a while. It can be as simple as “I was thinking about you.” Loneliness often tells us that no one wants to hear from us, and it is usually wrong. If there’s a church or small group near you, consider visiting this week.